Bandoleer construction



March 27, 1956 R. D. HAYES ET AL BANDOLEER CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 23, 195] March 27, 1956 R D. HAYES ET AL 2,739,746

BANDOLEER CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1951 March 27, 1956 R D. HAYES ET AL 2,739,746

BANDOLEER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 23, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ftp/0644?@ HAVES BOY/VOW/V WEA/.07

March 27, 1956 R, D. HAYES ET AL 2,739,746

BANDOLEER CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 23, 1951 United States atent' BANDOLEER CONSTRUCTION Richard D. Hayes and Donovan D. Wendt, Minneapolis, Minn., assignors to Bemis Bro. Bag Co., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Missouri Application November 23, 1951, Serial No. 257,832 6 Claims. (Cl. 224-17) Our invention relates generally to carrying cases and more particularly to carrying cases for cartridges and commonly known as bandoleers.

An important object of our invention is the provision of a bandoleer the construction and arrangement of which is such that a minimum of time and effort is consumed in extracting bullets or clips of bullets therefrom when needed.

Another important object of our invention is the provision of a bandoleer which is very light in weight and which may be produced sufficiently inexpensively to permit the same to be discarded when the ammunition contained therein is consumed.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a bandoleer having a plurality of independent compartments, said bandoleer being made from moistureproof thermoplastic material whereby the cartridges are protected from corrosion, moisture, dirt, dust, or other foreign material for long periods of time.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a bandoleer, as set forth, having a shoulder-engaging carrier strap the length of which may be easily and quickly adjusted, and of novel means for coupling the shoulder strap to the main body or the bandoleer.

Still another object of our invention is the provision of a bandoleer, as set forth, which is rugged in construction and durable in use.

Other highly vimportant objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the invention and in which like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a preferred form of bandoleer made in accordance with our invention, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, some parts being removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 (sheet l) is a fragmentary detail of a portion of Fig. 3 on a greatly enlarged scale;

' Fig. 5 is an` enlarged vertical section taken substantially on the lineS-S of Fig. l, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View in side elevation` of one end portion of the shoulder strap of our invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged verticalsection taken on the line 8 8 of Fig". 7;

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the bandoleer of our invention, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 10 is a view in perspective of a bullet clip cover and .ripcord element utilized in connection with the bandoleer of Fig. 9;

Fig. l1 is a view in front elevation of the bandoleer of Fig. 9, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 8 inclusive, a bandoleer is shown as comprising a main body 1, a shoulder strap 2, and means in the nature of strap-receiving loops 3 for coupling the end portions of the strap 2 to the main body 1. The main body 1, the shoulder strap 2, and the loops 3 may be made from any waterproof flexible sheet material but are preferably constructed from thermoplastic material such as polyethylene or the like which is capable of being bonded or sealed together by application of heat and pressure.

The main body 1 comprises a pair of elongated superposed sheets of polyethylene or the like that are sealed together adjacent one longitudinal side edge thereof as indicated at 4, one of said sheets forming a front wall element 5 and the other thereof forming a rear wall element 6. The rear wall element 6 is folded upon itself, as at 7, a portion thereof overlying the front wall element 5 and providing a closure llap 8. The free edge portion of the closure llap 8 is folded upon itself and cut to form a series of notches 9, the folded edges forming gripping tabs 10. With reference to Figs. l and 6, it will be seen that the front and rear wall elements 5 and 6 respectively and the closure flap 8 are sealed together at longitudinally spaced intervals, as indicated at 11, and adjacent their ends, as at 12, to provide a plurality of compartments 13 each of which are of a size to hold a clip of cartridges 14. The cartridge-holding clips 15 together with the cartridges 14 therein do not in themselves comprise the invention and detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. As shown, a shield 16 preferably made from heavy paper or cardboard is utilized to protect the walls of the bandoleer from the pointed ends of the cartridges or bullets 14 and said pointed ends from being damaged. The shields 16 likewise do not comprise the instant invention and should be regarded as an incidental part of the articles held within the compartments 13.

The closure flaps 3 are secured to the upper edge portions of the front wall forming element 5 by a releasable bond, as indicated at 17, see Figs. l, 3, and 4. The releasable bond 17 may be of any suitable type but preferably is formed by applying an extremely thin layer of powdered or tinely divided granular material diffused in a strip extending longitudinally of the front wall 5 adjacent its upper edge after which the front wall 5 and the closure ilap 8 are sealed together by application of heat and pressure over said strip of powdered material. Although any various powdered or granular material, impervious to the amount of heat required to heat seal the walls together, may be used, we have found powdered talc to be highly satisfactory for this purpose. Each grain of said powdered or granular material will tend to maintain the closure flap 8 away from contact with the upper edge portion of the front wall element 5. However, the flap and front wall will become adhered together around and between each of the grains of the powdered material with suiiicient strength to hold the flap and wall together against accidental parting and over a suiiicient area to provide a moistureproof seal. While the bond at 17 is sufficiently strong to hold against accidental opening, manual opening effort applied to the flap 8 in a compartment-opening direction less than that necessary to tear the material is required to cause a parting of the flap S from the front wall 5 at the joinder 17.

It should be appreciated that, when the front and rear arebonded together along the lines 11 and 12 for a portion of the length of each of the sealed areas thereof, two thicknesses of material are welded together, as between the lower edge portions iof the front and rear wall elements and the apices of the notches 9 and between the upper longitudinal edge of the body 1 and the top of the` front wall 5, whereas between the apices of the notches 9 and the top edge of the front wall 5 three thicknesses of mterial are welded together. Usually, heat sealing of this type is accomplished by passing the material between a pair of heated shoes or rollers spaced a predetermined distance apart, the distance usually being slightly less than the combined thickness of the material to be sealed together. When more than the normal number of thicknesses passes between the sealing shoes or rollers the added thickness imparted to the material by the additional layer or layers will be reduced to the distance between the shoes `or rollers, thus making each of the layers of considerably less thickness than originally. f course, if desired, sealing elements or shoes may be spread apart to accommodate the added thickness of material. ln this instance, we prefer to reduce the thickness of the closure ap 8 at the lines 11 and 12 of sealing therebetween and the front and rear wall elements and 6 respectively, see Fig. 6. The reduced thickness of the closure ap 8, at these areas, results in relatively weakening the closure wall aps so that an upward pull on the tabs will cause the aps to tear along the sealed areas 11, and in the case of the end compartments 13, a portion of the sealed area 12. Continued upward pulling movement on the tab 10 will cause a parting between the closure flap 8 and the front wall 5 at the releasable bond 17 and the designated compartment 13 will be opened and the closure flap 8 may then be separated from the main body upwardly to the fold 7, giving access to the clip of cartridges contained therein. It should be noted that opening of any one of the compartments 13, as above described, will not affect the moistureproof characteristics of an adjacent compartment.

Preparatory to the loading of the compartments 13 with cartridge-equipped clips 1S and the protector shields 16, the body 1 is completed with the exception of the forming of the bottom-forming seal 4. After each clip of cartridges and its shield is placed Within the compartments 13, the front and rear wall elements are sealed together, as at 4, all other ysealing operations being accomplished prior to this point.

The strap-receiving loops 3 are formed in substantially U-shape having their free end portions contained between the adjacent end portions of the front and rear wall elements 5 and 6 respectively, see Figs. l and 2. Said free ends and the adjacent end portions of the walls 5 and 6 are welded or sealed at laterally spaced points by means of a pair of opposed heated sealing elements, not shown but which may be assumed to be movable toward and away from each other. Heat and pressure applied to the opposite sides of the front and rear walls causes the material to melt sufficiently to form an annular bead 18 having a central web. The bead 18 provides a bond between the body 1 and the loop 3 which is stronger than either thereof and the round shape thereof prevents the initiation of a tear at this point should any undue pulling strain be placed upon the loop 3 against the body 1. The loops 3 dene passages 3 through which opposite end portions of the shoulder strap 2 extend. It will be noted that the loops 3 are so shaped that the passages 3 thereof are larger at their lower ends than at the upper ends thereof. The shoulder strap 2 has a normal width greater than the maximum width of the passages 3 and must be laterally reduced in width at its ends to permit projection thereof through the passages 3'. As shown in Fig. l, this reduction in width is accomplished by folding or crumpling the end portions, as indicated at 20. The extreme ends of the shoulder strap 2 are provided with stop means limiting longitudinal movements of .the strap 2 through the loops 3, said stop means each comprising a bar or stop element 21.

4 The stop elements 21 are of the same width as the normal Width of the strap and are formed by folding the extreme ends of the strap into several laps, see Fig. 8. A preferred method yof forming the stop element 21 comprises folding of a length of the strap upon itself and thereafter refolding the folded portion in a backward direction whereby the main body of the strap 2 is contained between adjacent laps, indicated by the numeral 22 in Fig. 8. The stop element 21 is then finished by heat-sealing all of the laps 22 together ait intervals, as at 23, and in the .same manner as the loops 3 are bonded tothe body 1. Made in this manner, the stop elements 21 eectively limit movements of the end portions of the strap 2 in one direction with .respect to their respective loops 3. The strap 2 is preferably made sufficiently long sothat the bandoleer will t the body `of the user regardless of his size. In the event of its use by a relatively small man, the strap 2 may be shortened by pulling a portion upwardly through one of the loops 3 and then tying a knot in the free end portions above the small end of the passage 3. The knot will .thenengage the small end of the 1oop`3 and be prevented from passing therethrough.

Normally, when our improved ybandoleer is lled with bulletequipped clips 15 and sealed, a-s at 4, the complete bullet-equipped bandoleers are then packed away in packing cases for shipment or storage. The moistureproof qualities of the material permit vstorage of the ammunition for extended periods of time without danger of deteiioration thereof. It should further be noted that the main body 1 of the bandoleer extends upwardly and downwardly of the cartridges 14 and the clips 15 and together with the vshoulder strapvZ serve to provide cushioning material for the ammunition when it is packed for shipment or storage. With outimproved bandoleer, it is only necessary, when the packed ammunition arrives at its point of use, for the user to pick -up one or more of the bandoleers,

as necessary, and hang them over his shoulder in the customary manner where the ammunition contained therein is ready for instant use. Our improved bandoleer thus eliminates the Waste of time usually consumed in the loading of a permanent type bandoleer bythe fighting man. The inexpensive construction of thisl type bandoleer--has a further advantage in that, when the ammunition therein is consumed, the bandoleer may be discarded, thus relieving the user of unnecessary incumbrances.

In the modified form of the invention, illustrated `in Figs. 9 to 13, inclusive, we provide a bandoleei having a main body 24 made from a sheet of plastic material such as polyethylene or the like, folded upon itself, as at 2S, and sealed together at longitudinally spaced intervals, indicated at 26, to provide longitudinally spaced compartments 27 for the reception of cartridge-equipped clips 28. The compartments 27 are .defined byfront and rear wall elements 29 and 30 formed by the folding of the main body 24. The shoulder strap and means for coupling the same to the `main body 24 are identical to the shoulder strap and loops of Figs. .l to .8 inclusivev and are identified by the same numerals with the `exponents a added. Thus, the shoulder strap 2a Ahas endportion-s 20a which pass through strap-receiving loops 3a that are `anchored under application of heat and pressure between the front and rear wall-forming elements 29 and 30,l as indicatedat 18a. The ends of the strap 2a are likewise provided.. 'th stop elements 21a.

As above indicated, the icon'xpartments 27 are adapted to contain a single clip 28 of'cartridges. A bullet shield 16a is utilized in this form of the invention-for the same purpose as .that'of shield .16 in Figs. 1, 5, and i6- It will be noted that the clips 28 of the cartridges in the modified form of the invention are disposed :in an `iuverted position with respect to those in Figs. l, 5, and 6..

A rip-cord element 31 has its inner end anchored by means of clips'for the likeZ to one side of the shield y16a, see `Figs. :l-O :and l2.' The vrip-cord element 31 :may

be made of any exible material such as string or :exbleI wire. The rip-cord element extends downwardly on the adjacent side of the clip 2S across the bottom thereof and upwardly on the opposite side where it projects through the open top of the compartment 27. When all of the compartments 27 are thus equipped with clips and ripcord elements, the upper longitudinal edges of the front and rear wall elements 29 and 30 are bonded together by application of heat and pressure, the free ends of the ripcord elements 31 extending outwardly therebetween. When, as preferred, a textile string is used to form the ripcord element 31, heat sealing of the upper longitudinal edges of the wall elements causes some of the polyethylene material to flow between the threads forming the string thus providing a moistureproof seal at the point where the string projects outwardly therefrom. When it isv desired to use a clip of cartridges, itis merely necessary for the user to grasp the free end 33 of a selected rip-cord element 31 and pull downwardly, as indicated at the right han-d end portion of Fig. ll, thus tearing a slit 34 in the front wall element 29 from its upper to its lower end. The clip 28 may then be easily withdrawn and used without appreciable loss of time. This type of bandoleer, similar to the preferred form, is designed to be used but once and to be discarded when all of the clips of cartridges are used.

A marked advantage of the use of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene or the like lies in the fact that the material will remain flexible over a wide range of temperatures, and will easily adapt itself to the contours of the Wearers body. It should be understood that carrying cases of the type disclosed herein may be used for a multiplicity of purposes such as for the storage and carrying of food, medical supplies, etc. Hence, the invention should not be limited by the use of the word bandoleer to a carrying case for ammunition only. It should be further noted that the different components such as the main body, the shoulder strap, and the strap-receiving loops, if desired, may be made from multi-ply or laminated materials as well as the single ply material shown.

Our invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and, while we have shown and described a preferred embodiment and one modified form which our improved bandoleer may take n practice, it will be understood that the same is capable of further modiiication without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

What We claim is:

1. A bandoleer comprising a main body of moistureproof thermoplastic sheet material, said body having front and rear wall elements welded together to provide a plurality of longitudinally spaced independent moistureproof compartments, means for opening each of said compartments independently of the adjacent ones thereof, strapreceiving loops welded to opposite ends of said body to provide an integral structure, a shoulder strap of thermoplastic material having its opposite end portions each extending through an adjacent one of said loops, and integrally formed stop means on the ends of said strap engageable with said loops to limit longitudinal movements of said strap therethrough.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said strapreceiving loops each comprise a strip of thermoplastic sheet material folded into cross-sectionally U-shape, the free ends thereof being interposed between said front and rear wall elements.

3. A bandoleer comprising a main body of moistureproof thermoplastic sheet material, said body having front and rear wall elements welded together to provide a plurality of longitudinally spaced moistureproof compartments, means for opening each of said compartments independently of the adjacent ones thereof, strap-receiving loops welded to opposite ends of said body, a shoulder strap, each of said loops defining a passage for an opposite end portion of the shoulder strap, said passages being larger at one end than at the other, and stop means on the extreme ends of said strap disposed outwardly of the small ends of said passages and limiting longitudinal movements of the shoulder strap through said loops.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 in which said stop means each comprises an end portion of said strap folded into a plurality of laps welded together, a portion of the main body of the strap being interposed between adjoining ones of said laps.

5. ln a bandoleer, a main body comprising superposed elongated sheets of moisture-proof thermoplastic material welded together to provide a plurality of longitudinally spaced compartments having front and rear wall elements and closure ilaps overlying said front wall elements, each of said closure flaps being adhered to its underlying front wall forming elements with a moisture-proof releaseable bond and welded at its side edges to the front wall element at said longitudinally spaced portions, said closure llaps being weakened at their side edges to facilitate tearing thereof and opening of said compartments individually, a carrying strap, a pair of strap-receiving loops welded one on each end of said body, each of said loops defining a passage for an opposite end portion of the carrying strap, said passage being larger at one end than at the other, and stop means on the extreme ends of said strap disposed outwardly of the small ends of said passage and limiting longitudinal movements of the carrying strap through said loops.

6. In a bandoleer, a main body comprising superposed elongated sheets of moisture-proof thermoplastic material wel-ded together to provide a plurality of longitudinally spaced compartments having front and rear wall elements and closure aps overlying said front wall elements, each of said closure iiaps being adhered to its underlying front wall forming element with a moisture-proof releaseable bond and welded at its side edges to the front wall element at said longitudinally spaced portions, said closure aps being welded at their side edges to facilitate tearing thereof and opening of said compartments individually, a pair of strap-receiving loops welded one on each end of said body, each of said loops delining a passage for an opposite end portion of the carrying strap, said passage being larger at one end than at the other, and stop means on the extreme ends of said strap disposed outwardly of the small ends of said passages and limiting longitudinal movements of the carrying strap through said loops, said stop means each comprising an end portion of said carrying strap folded into a plurality of laps, said laps being welded together to provide a transversely extending strip of greater thickness than the body of the strap intermediate its ends, a portion of the main body of the strap being interposed between adjoining ones of said laps.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,789 Parmenter Oct. 1, 1901 920,413 Batchelder May 4, 1909 1,110,694 Jennings Sept. 15, 1914 1,850,410 Milan Mar. 22, 1932 2,087,236 Anders July 20, 1937 2,444,166 Lesavoy Jan. 29, 1948 2,536,773 Saidel Ian. 2, 1951 2,596,884 Bailen May 13. 1952 

